Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last? • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#101

Post by foepys » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:14 PM UTC

bmitc wrote: post #4

Having switched back to Android, it can be infuriating dealing with iPhone users. I get slammed with "messages" when someone reacts to a message and oftentimes, messages just don't show up or messages go to my iPad and not my phone. Apple makes this extremely confusing. The iPhone users never know of their message goes through or what they're actually sending to (my iCloud account or my phone number).

This will improve once the EU's Digital Markets Act takes full effect on 2024-03-06 and will force Apple to cooperate with other chat providers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Markets_Act

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#102

Post by axutio » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:14 PM UTC

seiferteric wrote: post #60

Interesting... A while back there was a store about running MacOS X in a VM and I believe you could sign into iCloud. I had an idea that someone could do a startup to sell iMessage as a service on other platforms by wrapping the iMessage app on a VM into an API/service. If that failed, you could buy up olf iPhones/iPads and automate them with an custom app to do the same maybe?

Check out Blue Bubbles (self hosted, open source), Beeper, Sunbird, and texts.com.

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#103

Post by TSUTiger » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:15 PM UTC

mostlysimilar wrote: post #74

partiallypro wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My biggest gripe is when iPhone users share video or images, they are grainy nonsense. If Apple just moved to RCS this would be solved, but they refuse simply because they know it handicaps their competitor. The react thing has largely been fixed by Google on newer versions of messenger. It's impossible to fix the video stuff. People outside the US don't get it. They say everyone should switch to Whatsapp, etc, but g…

It's equally frustrating for iPhone users. iMessage sends and receives and full, beautiful quality. Meanwhile an Android user will send a photo and it comes through with about 10 pixels total. Don't even bother with video it's not worth trying, impossible to watch.

just wanna point out here, there are limitations to the size/length of videos and even the pictures sometimes get downscaled to the other imessage user

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#104

Post by mrtnmcc » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:16 PM UTC

qwytw wrote: post #15

afavour wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a little odd that the US is so iMessage-heavy when the rest of the world isn't but IMO relying on another proprietary protocol (i.e. WhatsApp) really isn't great either. I kind of think everyone is in an awful place.

I think text massages (SMS) are much more popular in US than in some other countries (obviously there are a lot of places where people still use SMS besides US). Not sure how accurate is the data but this seems interesting: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1263720/mobile-messaging...

SMS was more reliable for delivery with poor cellular connections, and many people learned to use it for that reason. The US (had) many rural areas with poor reception. So maybe that plays into it?

That theory would seem disproved by Mexico which is also pretty rural, but I believe their cell infrastructure sprung up pretty quickly and later than the US so "old school" sms didn't get the same traction.

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#105

Post by sjoerger » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:19 PM UTC

nebula8804 wrote: post #97

Macha wrote: post #3

Wouldn't be the first time that Microsoft has tried to integrate with a third party chat service against said chat service's wishes: https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/21/5635488/msn-messenger-vs-... And Microsoft has been on the other side of this with third party skype users, too.

After nearly 24 years we have come full circle: Here is an episode of Silicon Spin featuring John C Dvorak (yes that John C Dvorak) from ZDTV (yes that ZDTV) discussing the issue. I remember seeing this live when I was in elementary school lol [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcJBXgmdX44 Wonder what happened to all these 'pundits' :) [EDIT]: LOL @ 5:50 "Coming up on Silicon Spin, streaming is free but how long wi…

Dvorak is at least still around doing "stuff". I have never listened to his podcast.

https://www.noagendashow.net/john-c-dvorak

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#106

Post by cryptonym » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:20 PM UTC

liotier wrote: post #83

qwytw wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think text massages (SMS) are much more popular in US than in some other countries (obviously there are a lot of places where people still use SMS besides US). Not sure how accurate is the data but this seems interesting: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1263720/mobile-messaging...

Seen from my window, Whatsapp gained traction as free international messages and voice - which are only attractive for usage across international boundaries, which is uncommon in the USA... Maybe that partly explains why SMS lasted longer in the USA.

SMS are not always free, even locally. They are not convenient for a group chat. Apps allow group communication and is "free" over wifi.

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#107

Post by TSUTiger » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:22 PM UTC

I'll echo the other top-level threads and say it's the same technology as what happens in your car and it reads/replies to your messages.

Sidenote: Can someone school me and tell me how Apple got this iMessage thing "right" when Blackberry/BBM didn't?

Or is iMessage eventually going to go the way of BBM? I suspect it's more than just iMessage, like Apps (pre-BBM days) and tighter integration, but I'd like to start a dialogue here.

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#108

Post by not_a_shill » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:24 PM UTC

Weirdly enough Dell has had this tech since ~2018 but you had tk spoof your computer as a Dell to use it on non-dell computers. Looks like Intel bought the company that made it in 2021 and the Dell app is being discontinued.

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#109

Post by ezfe » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:25 PM UTC

rhaway84773 wrote: post #25

bmitc wrote: post #4

Having switched back to Android, it can be infuriating dealing with iPhone users. I get slammed with "messages" when someone reacts to a message and oftentimes, messages just don't show up or messages go to my iPad and not my phone. Apple makes this extremely confusing. The iPhone users never know of their message goes through or what they're actually sending to (my iCloud account or my phone number).

All this BS Apple has been doing is why my family and friends have largely switched exclusively to WhatsApp, although unfortunately that’s a little more troublesome now with Meta’s privacy issues.

Signal

Re: Microsoft somehow brings iMessage to Windows – will it last?

#110

Post by withinrafael » Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:27 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #53

cube00 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair implementing iMessage support is not entirely within their control, the joy of the walled garden.

Yes because all other messaging protocols allow any random third party to attach to their service. Microsoft is using an 8 year old documented iOS API.

Which API? (Genuinely curious, thanks in advance!)